For almost a year, Kristina was failing her harm reduction treatment. She was a victim of an increasingly popular philosophy which holds that society helps drug users best by never pressuring, judging, making demands, or otherwise holding users accountable for choices. There may well be a place for such a laissez-faire approach for certain kinds of users, such as hardened addicts who refuse conventional treatment or young heroin abusers who engage through clean needles and then enter treatment relatively quickly. But it is difficult to see how the health and interests of youthful users with rehabilitation potential are served by a harm reduction system that supports them in their self-destructive habits for extended periods.
Nonetheless, the LEAD model is gaining momentum. Santa Fe, NM, and Albany, NY, among other cities, are reportedly considering similar programs. Along these lines, Boston is planning a “safe user room” where people who have already injected their drugs elsewhere can be supervised by nurses who can help in case of over-sedation or other health problems; advocates in New York City are pressing for similar accommodations.
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